


A Tiny Problem

by ArtJim (AniMonster)



Series: Borrower of Brighton [1]
Category: The Borrowers - All Media Types, jacksepticeye
Genre: G/T, Gen, TINY - Freeform, borrower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 13:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14332977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniMonster/pseuds/ArtJim
Summary: A young Borrower started a new life in a new house. But after realizing she had no food and neither did her human bean, Seán "Jacksepticeye" McLoughlin, things get a little tense. Especially when he decides to finally introduce himself to her.





	1. A Very Strange Household

I am a Borrower. If you don't know what a Borrower is, I'm a little surprised you are listening to me. But, also, we're the beings that make the little things disappear. We borrow tiny items that won't be missed. A cube of sugar, a scrap of paper you left on the floor. Most of that is known.

What most _don't_ know about us is that, on occasion, a Borrower will pack up a lot of food, some meager belongings – the ones they can't live without – and hop into a moving bag to find a new house. A right of passage for some of the more adventurous types. Like myself.

Now, how this resulted me starting in America and ending up in England? _I still don't fucking know._

But here I am. It's been a weird experience. The human bean of this house likes to yell a lot. I'm still not entirely sure what his name is? He refers to himself as Jacksepticeye a lot, but his (… giiiiirlfriend? Signe.) calls him Seán. I'm convinced he has two names, to be honest, which just seems like too many. One name is perfectly fine.

If that weren't bizarre enough, though, he's also really weird in just not keeping too much food on hand. I think Signe is usually making the food, and when she's not around, the cabinets tend to run dry. I mean, I've been lucky, as my dad taught me how to hunt and all that. But bugs are gross, ya'know?

I've actually gotten used to it over the past couple months. There's even a spot in the Yelling Room where I can see his computer while he plays games on it. Certainly gives me more to do when I first wake up. And gets me awake. Helps me actually take stock of what I need for the day.

So about the actual story to tell you. This particular day was a tad off, as I hadn't realized I had no food until it was already dark. And stupidly cold. I hate both those things. As it turns out, that day, though, Jack had forgotten as well. Someone had brought him food, which he had left on the counter. I was already out Borrowing and thought I'd be able to be quick. Jack had just left the room, and whatever was in the bad smelled _amazing_.

So, I pulled my thread and hook out and latched it to the bottom of the cabinet. I missed the bag when I threw down the rest of the line, but it wasn't so far that I wouldn't be able to get in. When I reached the bottom, the heat almost overwhelmed me! Which I guess was good, it was fresh. Also a bonus, there was a relatively small fry nearby where I landed. It still took some work, but I got it secured to my pack. After checking the line, I started to climb.

Have you ever seen something loom above you? Something you know isn't suppose to be there. Well, that's kind of what happened when a shadow crossed over the top of the bag and grabbed the string. I thought about letting go in that moment, but it would have just left me stranded in the bag.

My stomach plummeted. I was pulled out of the bag and left to dangle in the air. Whether naturally or because of the hand that held it, I slowly turned, my eyes staring wide in horror.

A large pair of bright, curious, and confused blue eyes stared back.

 


	2. A Small Conversation

“Hello.”

The voice that escaped from the human in front of me was... surprisingly quiet. Nothing like the loud, bombastic tone I had heard countless times in the Yelling Room.

“Are you the one who's been peeking into my videos?”

I felt the color drain from my face. It took a moment to find my voice. “V-Videos? I thought-- Doesn't Robin--”

“He does. And he was really fuckin' confused who you were.” He shifted, which made my precarious position swing a lot more then was entirely comfortable. His other hand started coming closer. I squealed in surprise, trying to wiggle my way away. Jack froze. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his hand and gave me a bit of a pleading look. “You won't disappear if I set you down, right?”

At that moment, I hadn't been sure if my legs even wanted to work. All of my instincts had been trained to avoid this situation if possible. That if I was Seen, that was the end. I'd be exterminated, or thrown out into the cold, or any number of things that usually resulted in my death.

But the curiosity in the man's eyes ahead of me was both baffling and comforting, in a way. If a bit uncomfortable. Finally, I nodded. My descent was much slower then the ascent from the bag had been. When I touched the counter stop, my prediction proved correct, and my legs collapsed under me. I sat back and tried to swallow whatever wanted to remove itself from my stomach. Which wasn't much since I hadn't eaten yet. My appetite wasn't exactly with me at the moment, though.

Jack lowered himself so his eyes were still even with me. There was a bit of a silence between us. The longer it went, the more uncomfortable the curiosity made me feel. My voice cracked as I spoke.

“You... aren't going to hurt me, are you?”

He jolted back at the question. “What?! Of course not, Why-- Who would--” He cut himself off with a grimace. A bit of a dark expression crossed his face for a moment before he looked back at me with a sincere smile. “No. I promise I would never.”

I didn't mean to, but the words made me relax. I leaned back a little as he offered me a pinkie.

_What?_

“I'm Seán.”

Oh. Right. Handshakes. At least, I think that's what they were called. Dear lord, human beans were weird. Still, I put my hand on his fingertip, and he gently moved his pinkie up and down before retreating. He looked expectant.

_Right. Me._

“I'm. Ani.”

“Aw! That's a nice name. If you don't mind me asking, your voice--”

I threw up my hands in confusion. “I don't know. I thought I was just going from one town to another which usually happens and somehow that trip ended up being far longer then it had a right to and now I'm here.”

“Heh, bit crazy how that kind stuff happens, huh?” He glanced at my pack, then back at me. “Did you want more then just that fry? You could join me for dinner. Gets a tad lonely around here when Signe is visiting her family.”

There was a bit of an ache in my chest at his smile. It felt familiar, in a way that … is difficult to describe. A loneliness that eats away at you. One that had kept me from running, now that I could finally talk to someone again.

“I'd like that,” I finally said. “Not like anyone is waiting on me, either.”

I scooted away when he tried to offer a hand for me to climb on. After a bit of discussion, I opted to return to the paper bag that had the food. Apparently it made it a tad awkward for Seán, as he didn't want to close the bag while I was inside (though most of the heat had escaped anyway during out conversation). But, we eventually made it to the table, and he pulled over the center piece as I got out of the bag. He seemed somewhat conscious of the fact he was looming over me, and it took some convincing to keep him from killing his back with bad posture. I opted just to sit on the centerpiece. It didn't put me much past chest height, but it was better then the table for conversation. He eventually slouched a little to put us more face to face … so to speak.

He offered me an entire sampling of his meal, but I just went with a tad bit of beef between some lettuce. As I munched away, he asked his first question.

“So what are you?”

I stared at him in thought as I finished up my bite. “I'm a Borrower.”

His eyes flickered to my belongings. “Did you plan to return any of it?”

I felt my face turn red as I pinched my lips together. “That's not-- I know beans use it to mean something you'll return, but we--” I stopped and stared at my food. “We only take what won't be missed.”

Seán ate while I rambled. I briefly looked up to talk at him, but couldn't keep up eye contact. The was his mouth was moving while eating was... uncomfortable, to unstate it.

“Nice to know you're putting it to use.”

“You... are taking this quite calmly,” I muttered, though I was thankful for it. Not that I Was going to _tell_ him that.

He offered a toothy grin. I flinched back, and he settled it to a simple smile. “Came from the land of Faefolk. There's always someone in the walls you gotta make sure you don't piss off. And, as I said. We saw you in the videos.”

_Oh. Right._

“So! No hands. Anything else to know about?”

“I prefer moving on my own if convenient. Previous bag trip excluded.”

I was happy to see him relax at that. A small spark of hope lit up in his eyes.

“So, you'll stop sneaking around now?” He rubbed his eye a bit while waiting for my response.

“Old habits,” I murmured. “But I'll try.”

 


	3. Wasn't A Dream

I woke up the next morning, convinced it had all been a dream. But, when I poked my head out to his recording studio, I saw Seán fast asleep at his desk. A knotted string hung from the corner.

I hesitated. Last night's conversation... well. Honestly, it had been wonderful. I had forgotten how desperately I had needed someone to talk to – even if the conversation had been entirely about food once we got boundaries established. I wasn't about to be lonely again.

So, once I mustered what little courage I had, I slid to the floor with my grappling hook and dashed across the open area. I stumbled a bit on my way, and it made me stop to stare. The sheer size of everything from the floor was horrifying, yet breath taking. I had always stayed out of sight, high on shelves where I could look down at things, but looking up for the first time in this house. With Seán's sleeping form across the way, the only thing moving in the stillness.

I shook my thoughts as a creeping dread ran down my spine. I was too exposed. I had to keep moving.

It took longer then I wanted to make it to the string at the desk. Twine. I guess he didn't have much else to grab. Thankfully, I had brought my gloves Dad had given me. Never should leave without a good pair of gloves – never know what you'll have to climb.

The ascent itself was simple. Seán had erred on the side of too close with the knots, so each was easily in arm's reach. At the top, however, he had put a … _thing?_ To hold the rope. That proved harder to move past. But, I managed it (eventually) and made my way over to the sleeping giant. His computer was dark, though the lights from the tower were still blinking. My curiosity got the better of me as I slipped around his arms to nudge the mouse. The screen lit up.

He was looking at... _tiny furniture tutorials?!_

Before I could really comprehend what I was seeing, I nearly jumped out of my skin at the soft groan behind me. I stared back at him in shock as he started to move. The arm closest to me rose, causing me to stumble back onto the keyboard.

“Fucking hell,” he mumbled, the words vibrating in my chest. He opened an eye as he tried to rub the sleep from the other. Then met my gaze.

“Fuck!”

I yelped in surprise, his yell making me clamber a bit against the keyboard. Seán rolled a bit back, obviously still trying to figure things out. We both took the moment to catch our breath. Surprisingly, I found myself breaking the silence.

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean to--”

“Shit, are you alright!?”

Seán's voice had dropped to a whisper, a welcome sound to my still ringing ears. I nodded. He let out a soft sigh.

“Sorry, I must have...” He trailed off, clearing his throat a bit. I flinched back when he went to use his computer mouse. “Guess I fell asleep at my desk. Heh. Haven't done that in a while.”

I glanced over my shoulder. He had closed the tutorial windows. “What were you doing?”

“Uhm. Just. Looking a few things up.”

Considering I still didn't know how to feel about the whole thing, I didn't press any further.

“So. I just--” I pinched my lips together. I hadn't really thought about where I was going with this.

He offered me a smile. “Thanks, though. Probably would've thought I made it all up, ya'know?”

I stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Honestly, I thought it had all been a-- A dream. Then I saw the twine.”

“Oh! Yeah! I hoped it helped. I should have something else-- Oh shit, what time is it? Fuck, I need to get my videos uploaded!”

I scrambled to the far side of the keyboard as he went about setting up. “I should probably leave for this, huh?”

He paused his frantic motions. “You don't have toooooorightitsprobablyreallyloud.”

“A bit, yes,” I replied with a light chuckle. It took longer then I would have liked to get down, but Seán's gaze made me scurry across the floor. I tried desperately not to compare him to a cat. Having _one_ in the house was bad enough.

“Do you want help back up? Could hoist the string for you like I did last night.”

I tugged a bit on the grapple. Without something to brace my feet against, the climb would take forever on my own. Probably be pretty embarrassing too. I looked back at him and nodded.

I wrapped my arm around the string, making sure I was secure. The floor started to shake from Seán's footsteps, making the hair on my neck stand on end. I looked over my shoulder. While he probably thought he had stopped a fair distance away, I was personally reminded how huge humans are. It took all of my willpower to not look away.

“Ready?”

I nodded meekly. Thankfully, I managed to get my courage together long enough to keep myself from being thrown off when he pulled on it. Seán seemed determined to keep his motions gentle, but the ride was still much quicker then if I had done it on my own. On the shelf, I managed to catch my balance. When I started to reel in my string, Seán cleared his throat.

“So. Should I just yell for you?”

I hesitated. My stomach twisted and turned as I considered how to reply. It would be easier to just tell him, but I would be giving up so much if I did.

“... Just. Knock on the living room wall. Three times.”

He offered me a smile and a nod before I retreated into the walls.

 


	4. Excitement

I was repairing my favorite dress when the knocks came. I finished my work and changed. I wasn't exactly sure _why_ , but I felt like wearing it. It took a bit longer to get out of my little nook in the wall – dresses are not really conducive to climbing, but I made it. Seán sat in the dead center of the room on his(? It looked different) phone. I called out, and he held a finger out in pause. After a moment, he grinned and looked up at me.

“Sorry! Just wanted to finish settin' it up!” He scooted closer, then paused. He looked confused, and I regretted all of my choices for a brief moment. Then, his face lit up. “You look adorable!”

Heat rose on my face, and I shuffled my skirt a little. “So what's that?”

“Oh! Right, yeah, went with the smallest one I could, but I hope it helps.” Seán set the phone in front of me. My bafflement must have reached my face, because he continued.. “Thought you wouldn't want to have to constantly climb everywhere trying to follow me if we wanted conversation.”

“Aren't these really expensive!?” I blurted out. The humans before had always complained about that.

He shrugged. “It's worth it if you use it.”

I stared at him for a long moment. Then finally, I looked down at the phone. It was a hair shorter then me and somewhat wide. I tentatively put a hand on it. The screen lit up. I had always been curious about humans' tech. We weren't allowed to take it. Beans would always know its gone. So, I found myself hesitating for a moment. Then, I glanced at Seán. The excitement on his face brought me the courage to swipe my hand over the screen. Colorful squares took over the space in front of me. When I clicked one, a lot of numbers showed up. I found myself giggling at the music they made. Three shapes sat at the bottom. When I touched one, the colorful squares returned.

Seán had continued to watch me the entire time. When I met his gaze, I beamed.

“Will you teach me how to use it!?”

His expression lit up to match my own. “Of fucking course! Let's get set up!”

 

We spent the rest of the day on the phones. I caught on pretty quick, the interface proved rather intuitive. Seán showed me a few games we could play, but honestly, I was more interested in the movies. When we mostly figured everything out, I curled up back in my home in the wall. It had been a trip trying to get the phone there, but I was excited to actually have it. Seán even managed to rig up a hole in the wall so I could plug it in as needed. Figured he'd already know where I was when I actually started using the thing, and the sound would float out of the walls.

I found myself having a fondness for Disney movies, but fell asleep part way through Cinderella. I screamed in terror when it started to ring. A large green and blue, painted eye stared back.

_Seán_

Oh. Right. Phones make calls.

I hesitated, then hit the video button. Seán's face popped up. He was bundled up and excited.

“Do you want to wander Brighton with me?”

I stared at the image of his face for a long moment. While still large, it was weird seeing so much of it at once. Then I comprehended his question.

“Wait, what, out _there!?_ ”

“Of course! If you need gear--”

“No, no. I have some, I just-- Wouldn't I need to--” My stomach knotted in itself at the thought of being _on_ a bean for any extended period of time.

My screen glitched a tad as Seán tilted his head in thought. “Yeah, but a pocket wouldn't be so bad, right? Promise I keep 'em clean.”

“I'll-- Yeah, I'll. I'll join you, just. Lemme get ready...”

 

I poked my head out to the entryway. Seán was on his phone. I got myself out in the open, ignoring all my instincts, and cleared my throat. He looked up and grinned. “Ready?” When I nodded, he crouched down and offered a gloved hand.

Truth be told, _this_ is what terrified me. But Seán had been wonderful thus far, so I took a steadying breath. And jumped.

We had to take a moment to steady ourselves. Seán's hand was twitching a tad in response to my own movements to steady myself. Realizing that would take more time, I sank down to my knees. To his credit, Seán was trying to keep himself steady.

“Alright,” he muttered, eyes wide. “That was a tad more than I thought it'd be.”

I couldn't really figure out what to say in response, so I simply nodded. I eyed the various pockets along his jacket before standing up again. “Would you be alright with me just hiding in your hood?”

He snapped out of his daze to give me a baffled look. “Wait, what? I-- Uhm. I guess you could, but-- uh.”

“Figured if I actually wanted to see what's all out there...”

He stared at me, as though processing my words. Then, he gave an awkward smile. “So, do'ya want to climb or would you like a lift?”

As easy as it probably would have been to climb, I opted to let him set his hand closer. Once hidden and settled, I gave him a confirmation, and Seán opened the door.

 


	5. The Mall

I thought houses were large.

Seán called it The Mall. He got stopped once or twice by people who watched his videos. I had to duck out of sight for those, but even then, I could still see out ahead of us. Now. I had stepped outside before, obviously, but my parents never let me leave when it was cold. Every time I chanced extending my sight, a piercing cold buried itself under my skin and made me retreat. It wasn't so bad in the stores, though. We stopped in clothes shops, candy rooms, and game stores. But it was the electronics Seán really wanted to show me.

“Ya'know,” he muttered, so low I knew he could only be talking to me. “I did kinda want to try a point of view vlog, but didn't have a good way to do it.”

“You still don't,” I shot back, harsher then I meant to. The sad eyes I saw reflected in the display case made me wince. “Sorry, I just-- How would you _explain_ that?”

My entire world shifted as he scratched his jawline. “Hadn't figured _right_ now, but... we could at least try it?”

I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It went against everything I knew. Granted, just talking to Seán was that.

“Alright,” I said after a long pause. “We can try it.”

He didn't waste any time buying it.

Something about his grip on his credit card worried me. I don't know why.

We went back to the house after that. I jumped off his shoulder to the table and stretched.

“You... don't want to try it tonight?”

I shook my head, “I know I didn't do much, but it all was so... Overwhelming out there. I need to retreat for the night.”

There was a weird sound in my ear as I made my way to the wall.

“Wait!”

Air left my lungs in a panicked shriek. Seán's fingers held me fast against his palm. The world shifted and whirled as he pulled me back, only to let go partway across the table. I bolted, not turning around until I was mostly hidden by the entrance to the wall. My throat was tight, and tears were welling up in my eyes when I looked back at him. He held the coats that hung on the wall so tightly his knuckles were white. A pit formed in my stomach.

Why did he look as terrified as I did?

 


	6. Hidden Away

I didn't dare leave the safety of the walls for days. Seán didn't try to talk. If I hadn't run out of food, I would have considered staying out of sight forever.

He had finally gone grocery shopping. The kitchen was stocked, but it was the tiny cupcakes that caught me off guard. He and Signe had never gotten any before, and the package had been left undone, but none were missing. Seán was filming when I investigated. Nothing was written on the box, but he had taken great care to get all the seals off.

A peace offering. It couldn't be anything but. I stared for far too long. I hadn't planned to leave. He already knew where I made my home.

_He hasn't tried anything else._

I gathered what food I needed for my home, then lifted the plastic. It was a bit awkward, but I managed to slip one of the brightly colored cakes out. My tasks done, I returned home, anxious about what would happen next.

 

I didn't eat it. It was just felt wrong to. So, instead, I stared at the sudden bright edition to my home.

I heard a quiet _thump_ on the otherwise of the wall. A slightly louder knock. Two. Three, followed. I waited.

“Fucking hell,” Seán said from beyond the plaster. “I don't even know if you moved. Hopefully you hear this though.”

There was hesitation after his words. I scooted over to my phone and brought up my texts. I was thankful to have left it on silent.

**I can**

I heard his phone jingle. After another moment, he laughed in relief.

“Thank you. And... I'm sorry.”

I could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. Neither of us knew what to do. I didn't want to shout, but it felt so impersonal to continue with texts for any extended time.

**Facetime?**

The jingle sounded. After a moment, his own text box appeared on my screen.

**Let me get to my room.**

I heard him get up and leave. Barely a minute after, my screen lit up with his call. As the camera settled, I noted, “I didn't want to yell.”

Seán was in bed on his stomach, pillow held tightly under him to keep his head up. He nodded. “I... can't really explain _why_ I did it. I--- I wasn't thinkin'.”

I let out a soft sigh. “You don't need to explain anything. Things happen, and you obviously--” I cut myself off. _Obviously regret it?_ Yeah, that'll make him feel better. “You're genuinely sorry. That much is obvious.”

“There's more to it then that,” he replied in a hushed tone. “Things are-- Well, for one, I've been feelin' less then stellar lately. For two, things have been happenin' that I'm not... too in control of.”

He didn't offer an explanation to my confusion.

“Just suffice to say, might be best you keep your distance for. A while.”

My brow furrowed, but I decided not to press the issue. The conversation died.

“So. Yeah,” he said after a bit. He looked at me through the camera, the struggle evident in his eyes.

“I'll keep the phone on,” I said. He could only nod in response. As he ended the call, I jumped. A green hued glitch tore across my screen. Seán's face, sinister, wild, gave me a wicked grin just before the screen went black.

A bone chilling cackle rang through the house.

 


	7. Things Go Wrong

While I had trusted Seán with a lot, I hadn't given away all my entrances. Which meant, while I couldn't use my easiest way to his studio, I still had options to keep out of sight.

I could hear talking in the studio, but it wasn't the energetic yells I had grown used to. I peered out from the wall. Seán sat in a corner of the room, hands buried in his hair. Somewhere, static sounded.

“Get the fuck out of my head,” he muttered. I heard static again. He seemed to react to something. Something that made my stomach twist into knots. _Something that was in here with us._

Was the static... speaking?

That realization made me focus again. A shimmer hovered in the air around Seán. Almost like a cloud, invisible save for the very slight distortion of the wall.

I looked up at his desk. His camera sat in its usual spot.

It was a worth a shot.

The cord was textured, which made for an easy climb. The static and Seán had both gone silent. The camera was on. The digital screen flicked and flickered. Seán sat still while a form shifted near him. Nearly identical to the irish man, save for a green haze and..

_Was that a bloody cut across his neck?_

It said something to Seán. His face faltered.

His scream made me lose my grip. I tried to catch myself, but couldn't find a hold. My scream overpowered the crack of my arm. Unbearly pain coursed through me with every heartbeat.

A quiet laugh sounded nearby.

 

“T͜o̸o̴. ̡Pe͘r̵f҉e͟ct ”

 

Through my tears, I managed to look at the source of the wavering, ever changing voice. I thought, for the briefest moment, that it was Seán. Then, I saw its eyes. Pitch black, save for an almost glowing green iris, that stared down at me with that same wicked grin I had seen on the phone.

I ran.

Not far, not fast. Each step sent new agony through me. A soft whistling made me look up. I stumbled back and fell as a large knife dug itself into the desk. In the silvery metal, I saw its reflection. A horrible, sadistic version of my friend. Blood dripping from its neck, teeth sharp as a cat's. The air glitched around him, a green haze shifting along the scene.

Its quiet chuckle blew hot air on my back. I froze in fear, tears finally brimming over.

 

“Y̡o͏u c̛o̵uld h̕ave s̷top҉p͠ed͟ ̸me͞.҉ ”

 


	8. End

I couldn't move. Its hand darted in. Air left my lungs as it squeezed. I struggled to breath, the pain threatening to take me. I let out a gasp when it shifted its grip. My voice grew hoarse from the screaming, and my broken arm dangled uselessly below me when it flipped me around to let me hang by a leg. Its grin was too wide, eyes dancing in delight.

“And̵ here͟ I t̡hough͟t ͞HI͏S body͟ ͏was w͠eak͞.҉ ”

The world was shifting. Glitching. Everything around us took on that horrible, sickly green haze. It dropped me. I tried to scream, but my throat refused. I thought I was dead for sure, but it decided to catch me instead. It cackled again.

“Yo̡u juşt͡ ̨w͠a͢t̴ch͢e̕d! You ͜d̡i̧d̡n't͜ ͡e̷ven QUEST̕I̛O͞N ̵w͡hat had͜ ha͞pp̷ened̨.͢ .̴̦̰̥̝̘̗ͅ”

It dropped me onto the table. I struggled to move, only to be pushed back down by a single finger. The tip of the knife settled right in front of me, precarious in its placement. Almost brushing my face. The pressure released on my back, but I refused to move as it laid its face right next to me, brilliant, glow green iris blocking the rest of my sight. Frozen in fear, I struggled to make even the smallest sound.

“W—Who--”

It glared, a snarl escaping its throat as it stood up again. The knife skidded a bit, taking some of the table with it. I tried to scramble back, only to be picked up effortlessly and held only by my good arm.

“N͠o̵t͘ eve͞n҉ a ̡pro̕p͟er̕ int̕ro͞duc͡ti̵o͡n for ͢me.҉ Ju̷s̡t so͏m̸e _g͡li̡tch̛ bitch_.” Its head tilted too far, that wide, toothy grin returning. “A͠n͏ti.͟ ̕Th͢e̴ b͜etter͞ ha͏lf o͞f yǫu͘r ̢p̸r̶e̷c̕iou͏s̕ Ja̕c͘k.̴”

Almost hidden in its nature, its eye twitched.

“S-- Seán?” I managed to squeak.

Its scowl returned, and I was lowered to the table. A shaky, awful right, its grip constantly loosening. It pressed me into the wood, leaving only my head free to let out the most pathetic wail I've ever done.

“No!͜ ͏Y̕ou͡'re ̶ _mine̛_!͏”

I couldn't breath. My already weak body was collapsing from the pressure of its hand.

It was gone.

Air rushed back into me in a gasp, tears falling anew as I tried to regain my senses. It – Seán? - struggled with itself, slamming into the wall, gripping its head and knife. It's glare turned back to me, its eye flickering between glowing green and brilliant blue. I screamed as it ran at me, knife brandished. I tried to move, but my body cried out in pain, refusing. I turned to face my death.

The knife dug into the edge of the table, and Anti collapsed out of sight, hand shaking against the handle. The room felt as though it was clearing, the glitches calming, then stopping altogether. I tried to say something, but my throat only burned. The body in front of me started to rise up. He leaned against the table, letting the knife fall to the floor. Seán's brilliant blue eyes met mine, his filled with worry at the sight of me.

“Jesus fucking Christ, I'm so fucking sorry,” he whispered. I tried to say anything at all.

Instead, a breath of a laugh escaped me, followed by tears. Then pain.

Then darkness.

 

“Yeah, just. Just us, though. She's had enough for a lifetime.”

Seán's voice pulled me back from my dreams. Had I dreamed? I shifted, just a tad, and felt every part of my body cry out in response. I must have as well, as I heard Seán spit a curse, and footsteps approached.

“Ani?”

All I could do was whimper. It took far too much effort to open my eyes.

Seán's brilliant, tired blue eyes were the first thing I saw. I never expected a human looking at me would fill me with such joy. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it when he shook his head.

“Water first. Then food, you've been sleeping for a day and a half.”

He moved a thimble of water towards me. I didn't argue, though, as it was empty before I could really comprehend it was there. He offered me slices of grapes.

“I-- I am so fuckin' sorry. I should have told you about Anti,” he muttered. I tried to find a reply, but my throat still refused. He laid a spoonful of honey near me. “I-- He doesn't-- Fuck.”

I let him find his words as I tried to figure the best way to take the honey. It was going to be a mess no matter what I did.

“I usually got it under control,” he admitted. “But between Signe gone and all the new experiences, I--”

“Is Signe back?” I asked when he stopped himself. Seán nodded. “Then we'll be okay, right?” He looked a tad flabbergasted at my calm reply, but I shrugged it off. “It... hasn't sunken in yet.”

He offered me an apologetic look. “I'll be here for you when it does.”

We sat in silence for a long time.

“... You ready to meet Signe?”

I nodded without a thought. My alarm must have shown on my face, as Seán hesitated.

“You sure?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Yes. I just...” I held my splinted arm. When had he done that? Where was I, anyway?

His room. A pillow, in his room. Had he slept at _all_?

“I'm fine,” I murmured. “I trust you.”

In the silence that followed, I knew Seán understood the weight I put in that phrase. He offered his hand.

“C'mon. Let's go get Signe.”

 


End file.
